The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji the winner of the Ekiti State governorship election held on Saturday, June 20.

The Returning Officer for the election, Professor Adenike Oladiji, announced the results at about 3:13 a.m. on Sunday. She stated that Oyebanji secured a total of 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rivals and earn a second term in office.

A total of 14 candidates contested the governorship election, which was conducted ahead of the expiration of Governor Oyebanji’s first term on October 15, 2026.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wole Oluyede, came second with 40,543 votes, while the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dare Bejide, finished third with 12,872 votes.

According to the official results, Oyebanji won in all 16 local government areas of the state, including the capital, Ado-Ekiti, demonstrating strong support across Ekiti State.

Despite the deployment of security personnel to maintain order during the election, reports of vote-buying were recorded in several polling units.

Observers and journalists reported witnessing incidents where voters were allegedly offered money in exchange for their votes. Some voters told reporters that they received between ₦10,000 and ₦15,000 to support specific political parties during the election.

Following the announcement of the results, ADC candidate Dare Bejide accused the ruling party of engaging in widespread vote-buying and intimidating voters who were unwilling to support the party.

Election monitoring organization Yiaga Africa stated that the official results announced by INEC were consistent with the estimates gathered through its independent verification process.

However, the group expressed concern over the widespread incidents of vote-buying reported during the election.

In its post-election statement released on Sunday, Yiaga Africa recommended reforms to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral process. The organization called for better training of INEC officials on election procedures and urged security agencies to take stronger measures against vote-buying and voter intimidation in future elections.

The Ekiti governorship election is considered a significant political contest in the state, and Governor Oyebanji’s victory ensures the continuation of his administration for another term.